Fine Arts
Standards of Learning
Knowledge and skills that students acquire through fine arts instruction include the abilities to think critically, solve problems resourcefully, communicate effectively, work collaboratively, understand historical and cultural perspectives, and exercise creative thinking by employing originality, flexibility, and imagination.
Remote Learning Resources for Fine Arts
Fine Arts Resources from the VDOE C4L Task Force:
- Secondary Fine Arts Instructional Models-This is a PDF document.
- Secondary Fine Arts Online Resource-This is a PDF document.
- Elementary Resource Instructional Models-This is a PDF document.
- K-5 Online Resources-This is a PDF document.
Additional Learning in Place Resources:
- Fine Arts Family Resources-This is a PDF document.
- Arts for Learning Virginia
– This YouTube Channel features 10 minute video lessons from Arts for Learning Virginia. Lessons include visual arts, dance, theatre, and music
Selections of Fine Arts Content on eMediaVA
- A World of Stories – This collection contains oral histories and stories from around the world.
- Artopia – Artopia is a comprehensive web-based arts experience designed for middle school students, covering the visual and performing arts.
- ArtQuest – ArtQuest: Art Is All Around You provides fast-paced and lively introductions to the world of art by encouraging children to look at their own environment.
- Dance Arts Toolkit – Videos in the Dance Arts Toolkit collection include the history and elements of dance.
- Drama Arts Toolkit – Videos in the Drama Arts Toolkit collection include the history and elements of theater as well as a behind-the-scenes look at theater production from the planning stages to the final performance. Through live performances and interviews, the collection represents a wide variety of cultures, periods, and styles of drama.
- Film School Shorts – KQED Film School Shorts showcases the best shorts from film schools across the country.
- Fine Arts Media for Young Learners and Elementary – Explore our collection of fine arts resources for PreK-elementary learners.
- KQED Art School – Explore the basic elements of art including Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Value, Space and Color.
- Music Arts Toolkit Series – Videos in the Music Arts Toolkit collection explore the history and elements of music.
- Songs for Unusual Creatures – The musician creates music inspired by some of Earth's strangest animals.
- Soundbreaking – Explore lesson plans and video to accompany the PBS series, Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music.
- Sound Field – Sound Field is hosted by LA Buckner and Nahre Sol, accomplished musicians and music teachers, exploring the music theory, production, history and culture behind our favorite songs and musical styles.
- SPARK – Spark documents visual and performing contemporary artists – from well-known painters, to ethnic dance companies, to artists working with new technologies.
- The Majesty of Music and Math – Explore the interconnectedness of music and mathematics. Featuring Santa Fe Institute mathematician and computer scientist Cristopher Moore and musical selections by The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra conducted by Guillermo Figueroa.
- The Metropolitan Opera – For the first time, The Metropolitan Opera is making full-length opera broadcasts in its Live in HD series available to educators.
Professional Development Resources
- Webinar: Virtual and Blended Learning Strategies for Fine Arts Educators – This webinar recording from June 2020 provides foundations of virtual and blended instruction for fine arts educators. The webinar starts 21 minutes into this video link.
- Webinar: COVID-19 Considerations for Music Education – This webinar recording provides current research and resources related to music education during COVID-19 as of June 2020.
- Webinar: Education Resources from Virginia's History and Culture Institutions for Fine Arts Educators – This webinar recording from July 2020 shows fine arts educators resources from Virginia historical and cultural museums and sites.
- VISUAL ARTS Overview of Virginia's 2020 Visual Arts Standards of Learning
- DANCE ARTS Overview of Virginia's 2020 Dance Arts Standards of Learning
- THEATRE ARTS Overview of Virginia's 2020 Theatre Arts Standards of Learning
- Fine Arts Education Resources from eMediaVA - Learning about media and educational resources from emediaVA. The session includes how to access eMediaVA and how to find resources to support student learning in fine arts areas of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.
- MUSIC Overview of Virginia's 2020 Music Arts Standards of Learning for Elementary Music Teachers
- MUSIC Overview of Virginia's 2020 Music Arts Standards of Learning for Secondary Music Teachers
- THEATRE ARTS Think Like an Artist in the Theatre Classroom - Artist habits of mind help students reflect on their work by considering learning as a process. These frameworks make thinking visible and, with consistent and pervasive use, develop habitual cultures of thinking in the classroom.
- DANCE ARTS Elements of Dance - This webinar introduces ways to help students identify the elements of dance (body, energy, action, space, and time) and use them to explore and create.
- MUSIC Virtual Learning in the Instrumental Classroom - Ideas for engaging students, assessment and differentiation strategies, and some instructional plans that align with the 2020 Music Standards of Learning are offered.
- DANCE ARTS Diversity and Inclusivity in Dance Education - This webinar will focus on topics of diversity and inclusivity of dance.
- VISUAL ARTS Innovation in Visual Arts: Breaking Barriers and Integrating Technology - Explore the new Visual Arts Standards of Learning strand Innovation in the Arts.
- MUSIC Digital Audio Production and Composition for Secondary Music Classrooms - In this webinar, we will explore ways that teachers and students can use digital tools in the secondary music classroom for creation and investigation.
- VISUAL ARTS Community Engagement in Visual Arts - This webinar is an opportunity to explore community engagement as it relates to the History, Culture, and Citizenship strand in the 2020 Visual Arts Standards of Learning.
- MUSIC Applying the Creative Process to Elementary General Music Room - In this webinar we will discuss the Creative Process strand in the Music standards and share ideas on implementation in the elementary general music room.
- Studios, Stages, & Students: Real Reasons We Keep Coming Back – An inspiring back-to-school message from Virginia artist, educator, and keynote speaker, Clayton Singleton.
Instructional Resources
Multidisciplinary Fine Arts
- Fine Arts Career and Workbased Learning Resources - Word | PDF
- Arts Education Partnership – Information and communication about current and emerging arts education policies, issues, and activities at the national, state and local levels.
- Joy2Learn – Videos and interactive multimedia presentations and performances by artists including Hector Elizondo, Alan Gampel, Gregory Hines, Wynton Marsalis, Elizabeth Murray and Richard Serra, from the Joy2Learn Foundation.
- Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education
- Virginia Commission for the Arts
Dance Arts
Standards Progression Charts
- Elementary-This is a PDF document.
- Middle-This is a PDF document.
- High School-This is a PDF document.
Instructional Resources
Music
Standards Progression Charts
- Elementary-This is a PDF document.
- General Music - Middle and High-This is a PDF document.
- Middle School Choral-This is a PDF document.
- High School Choral-This is a PDF document.
- Instrumental - Elementary and Middle-This is a PDF document.
- Instrumental - High School-This is a PDF document.
- Music Theory-This is a PDF document.
Instructional Plans
- Beginner String Setup-This is a Word document. – This instructional plan serves as a resource to provide the instructor with a plan to instruct beginning string players of violin, viola, cello, and double bass (hereafter referred to as “bass”) in proper instrument posture and left-hand position. This plan provides the instructor with outcomes achievable through SOL-correlated lesson content.
- History Integration in the Instrumental Music Classroom-This is a Word document. – Students will learn about history and music history through listening, analyzing, and performing works in their instrumental class. Students will gain insight into history through a Fine Arts lens, enabling them to make connections with contemporaries and world events.
- Advancing Left Hand Techniques for Orchestra-This is a Word document. – This instructional plan will introduce the foundational skills required for shifting and vibrato, including left-hand independence, proper instrument support, fingerboard navigation, and pre-vibrato motions. It will offer the teacher step-by-step exercises to teach these skills in a heterogeneous orchestra setting.
- Building the Beginning String Players Bow Hold-This is a Word document. – This instructional plan will provide the teacher with the outline and resources needed to instruct beginning string players of violin, viola, cello, and double bass in proper bow hold development.
- Composition in the Instrumental Classroom-This is a Word document. – This instructional plan will provide the instructor with the outline and resources to guide students in the composition of original music. Composition incorporates different aspects of music education including creativity, critical thinking, and the application of musical techniques.
- Guided Listening in the Instrumental Classroom-This is a Word document. – This plan will provide the instructor with an outline and resources to direct students through a variety of listening exercises. Students can use listening exercises to analyze music, identify important elements, and critique performances.
- Music Career Exploration-This is a Word document. – This instructional plan provides the teacher with an outline and resources to guide music students through the process of selecting and pursuing a career path in the 21st century workplace, enabling students to understand music as a field of knowledge.
- Improvisation in the Instrumental Classroom-This is a Word document. – This plan will outline the process and resources needed to introduce and improve improvisation in an instrumental classroom. Improvisation is important for encouraging creativity and expression while providing a supportive environment that is free of judgment and criticism.
- History Integration in the High School Music Classroom-This is a Word document. – This plan provides teachers with the resources to guide students through the analysis of musical time periods which will provide insight into history with a lens through the fine arts. This analysis helps students make connections with contemporaries and world events, in turn, enabling students to perform music with greater depth and style.
| Title | Overview | Grade(s) | Standards | Word | Works Virtual | Interdisciplinary Connection | |
| If I Were the Composer | Students will use their creative writing power to explore what a composer/performer might have been trying to say or make their audience feel in a piece of music. Students will use creative writing prompts to explore musical elements, using appropriate music terminology. | 2, 3, 4, 5 | 2.3, 3.3, 4.3, 5.3 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Instrument Discovery | Students select an instrument and identify instrument’s origins, composers and musicians who feature this instrument, and styles of music where this instruments is featured. Students will also identify the parts and sound science of the instrument. | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 1.3.a, 2.3.a, 3.3.b, 4.3.a, 5.12.a | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Rhythmic Menu - Favorite Food Rhythms | Students will learn the basics of rhythmic literacy by correlating the number of syllables in a word to a rhythmic value. Students will select their favorite food that has toppings (pizza, ice cream sundae, cake, cookie, or sandwich) and create rhythmic patterns using words with varying numbers of syllables. | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 1.12.b, 2.12.d, 3.12.f, 4.12.d, 5.12.d | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Melodies that Rock! | Students will compose short melodic phrases using commonly found household items, such as a rock to create “Melodies that Rock.” Students will explore music contour in relationship to high and low notes, and melodic patterns and motion. | K, 1, 2, 3 | K.1, 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, K.12, 1.12, 2.12, 3.12, | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Disappearing Rhythms | Students will demonstrate knowledge of rhythmic literacy by playing Disappearing Rhythms. Students will identify and perform simple rhythms, and improve audition skills, as well as accuracy and fluency of rhythmic music literacy, through repetition in a fast-paced environment. | K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | K.15, 1.15, 2.15, 3.15, 4.15, 5.15 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Storytelling and Movement | Students will develop listening skills and identify differences in forte and piano dynamics. The teacher will tell an imaginative story to accompany a piece of music such as, Haydn’s “Surprise Symphony.” Students will respond to music with movement, as they reenact the story. | K | K.17, K.3, K.4 | Word | YES | Not applicable |
Theatre Arts
Standards Progression Charts
- Elementary-This is a PDF document.
- Middle-This is a PDF document.
- High School-This is a PDF document.
- Technical Theatre-This is a PDF document.
Instructional Resources
- Theatre 2013 Core Academic Correlation Chart (Word) or (PDF)
- Theatre Arts Sample Curriculum (Word) or (PDF)
- Technical Theatre Guidelines (Word) or (PDF)
- Creative Drama & Theatre Education Resource Site – Classroom ideas, creative drama, theater games, plays for performance and a book list for educators.
Visual Arts
Standards Progression Charts
- Elementary-This is a PDF document.
- Middle-This is a PDF document.
- High School-This is a PDF document.
Instructional Plans
| Title | Overview | Grade(s) | Standards | Word | Works Virtual | Interdisciplinary Connection | |
| "Mistake" Art (Line Drawing) | Students will learn that a mistake is an opportunity to be an artist. Students will first close their eyes and make an unwanted mark on their paper, then use a variety of art supplies to turn that “mistake” into a work of art. By problem-solving, students will explore solutions that may take the form of animals, objects, places, or non-representative art. | K, 1, 2 | K.1, 1.1, 2.1 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Found Object Assemblage | Students will learn about artists who create assemblages using found objects. After learning about colors and spatial relationships in composition, students will create an assemblage using found household objects in the color of their choice. | K | K.1, K.12, K.13 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Pop-Up Communities | Students will research and plan for creating art while learning to visualize landscapes three-dimensionally. Students will explore and experiment with three-dimensional paper techniques and depict elements in foreground, middle ground and background. | 2 | 2.2, 2.15, 2.17 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Shadow Puppet Storytelling | Students will understand that information passes from generation to generation through the ancient tradition of storytelling. Students will recognize that puppetry is a visual expression of storytelling used by many cultures for entertainment, community gatherings, to convey information and to encourage understanding and/or empathy. Students will create a shadow puppet and perform a short puppet show based on a folk tale, tall tale, or poem. | 2 | 2.1, 2.11, 2.12 | Word | YES | Music, Theatre, Literature | |
| Unexpected Abstract Art | Students will learn about contemporary artist Beatriz Milhazes. Inspired by her work, students will first practice using line, shape, and color by creating an abstract drawing using household items. Then, students will use digital drawing tools to explore those concepts and unexpected outcomes to create a final work of art. | 2 | 2.1, 2.12 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Animal Collage Book Cover | Students will explore with watercolor techniques and collage to design their own character for a book cover. Through an artist study on artist Eric Carle, students will observe and identify shapes in animals and use their painted papers for a collage. | 2 | 2.9, 2.12, 2.15 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Artists as Designers | Students will identify that creating a product, packaging, or place is the job of an artist using a creative design process to develop the very best solution. Students will use the iterative design process to develop ideas and create a new and innovative product, package, or place design. | 3 | 3.2, 3.4, 3.9, 3.12 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Portraying Heroes | Students will learn that artists honor their heroes by creating portraits of them. Students will first brainstorm who is a hero in their life (answers can be specific names, jobs, or even animals). Then students will create a work of art that memorializes the heroic qualities of this important person. | 3,4,5 | 3.6, 4.3, 4.4, 5.14 | Word | YES | Not applicable | |
| Music and Emotion Through Art | Students will look at the difference between abstract, non-representational, and representational work before creating their own piece of art. The work of art they create will be a depiction of their own emotions while listening to different types (genres) of music. Students will choose from available media and create a work based on their own emotional response to the musical selections. | 4 | 4.3, 4.17 | Word | YES | Not applicable |
Fine Arts Education Professional Organizations
Dance Arts
- American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD)
- Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (VAHPERD)
Music
- National Association for Music Education
- Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association
- Virginia Choral Directors Association
- Virginia Elementary Music Educators Association
- Virginia Association of Music Education Administrators
- Virginia Music Educators Association
- Virginia Music Educators Association - Guitar Council
Theatre
- American Alliance for Theatre in Education
- American Association of Community Theatre
- Southeastern Theatre Conference
- Educational Theatre Association/ International Thespian Society
- Virginia Educational Theatre Association/ Virginia Thespians
Visual Arts